Second WomanS/W

Veteran Spectrum Spools duo Second Woman teased their sophomore LP earlier this year with a digital EP, exploring the furthest reaches of rhythmic space on the two non-remixed tracks they presented on that release. S/W ratchets up the twitchy percussion and ice-cold digitalia of the New Orleans-bred duo's previous work, delivering a quasi-random, off the grid brand of dubbed-out techno that is singular in its delivery of splattered beats and squished synths.

Josh Eustis (Telefon Tel Aviv) and Turk Dietrich (Belong) deliver an algorithmic squared circle here, replete with bouncing objects under the influence of a fluid sort of gravity and air-filled pouches subjected to arrhythmic palpitations. This unholy bedrock is situated beneath an equally mutant cloud of synthetic goo that attempts to hunker down amidst the fluctuating foundational elements. Try as they might, these fog-like lead elements can't help but sway in retaliation to the madness happening beneath.

Somehow this chaos is both articulate and appealing, presenting itself as a series of off-kilter electronic compositions that are of a heightened musicality. In the hands of another set of producers, the proceedings might have spun out of control, but Eustis and Dietrich — through clever wrangling — manage to keep a lid on the digital disarray. (Editions Mego)